Though Princeton was first on the board after a kill from sophomore middle blocker Michael Dye, Penn State ran the score up to 12-5 with a 6-0 run. Junior setter Scott Liljestrom, who won the starting position over newcomer Davis Waddell, tried to get the momentum going with assists to freshmen middle blocker Brad Howard and outside hitter Jeff Stapleton as well as senior co-captain and middle blocker Keenan McCarthy.
The Tigers struggled to keep up with the high-powered Nittany Lions, who posted a whopping .600 hitting percentage in the frame. Princeton pulled as close as 19-14 but ultimately dropped the set 25-17.
The Nittany Lions tried to put together a similar run in the second set but were halted by a Princeton timeout at 6-3. A kill from Stapleton immediately after the break stopped the Penn State momentum briefly, but the hosts responded with a pair of three-point runs to take a 16-10 lead. Dye contributed four of his team-best 11 kills in the second set, helping him post a .350 hitting percentage for the match. The Nittany Lions pulled away, however, taking the game 25-16.
Playing with a form reminiscent of that of their 2010 season, the Tigers were not ready to pack up and go home yet. Stepping up its defense, Princeton postponed a Penn State run until three consecutive points put the Nittany Lions up 11-7. Penn State retained the lead until a pair of kills from Schwagler and two attack errors by Penn State during a Dye serving run pulled the Tigers within two points at 23-21. Another kill by Schwagler and a block by Stapleton closed the score to 24-23 with Schwagler at the line, but a kill from Penn State outside hitter Ryan Wolf ended the set and the match 25-23.
This match was the two teams’ first meeting since the Nittany Lions defeated the Tigers in the final of the EIVA Tournament last May. The Tigers will now play three home games in a row against conference opponents in the next two weeks. Princeton will need to remain healthy and strong to return to the EIVA Championship in April.
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